Tennis is a sport that includes two or four players attempting to shoot a rubber ball above the net on a court. First, people in France played such a sport with their hands at the beginning of the 11th century. The players then experimented with rackets in the 15th century. It is now referred to as “tennis.”
We have been witnesses of vast interesting tennis stars grace numerous courts worldwide over the course of several decades. As the world’s number one spot is playing against each other, it gives fans great pleasure.
Depending on the field, certain players have different strength zones. The Australian and American Open have hard grass, the French Open on clay,and on grass, theWimbledon. Only the best tennis players can be tailored to compete at each court. Let’s take a look at theTop 13 Male Tennis Players of All-Time.
13. Ken Rosewall
Australian tennis player Ken Rosewall in 1965. (Getty)
Ken Rosewall retains the record for the most major final appearances despite being dominated by his Australian counterpart Rod Laver and winning just 3 Grand Slams. He added 35 in his 25-year career.
In the early 1960s, the World No. 1 player was among the top 20 players every year from 1952 to 1977.
12. Roy Emerson
Roy Emerson of Australia plays a shot at the 1970 Wimbledon Championships. (Getty)
At the beginning of his career as a doubles player, Roy Emerson won 16 titles and his eventual step into singles was virtually as fruitful. He won twelve individual titles.
Emerson’s illustrious career is most impressively influenced by his status as the only player in the history of the sport who won all four Grand Slam championships both in doubles and singles. The adaptability of Emerson on every surface contributed to his huge popularity.
11. Boris Becker
Boris Becker of Germany during a match at the 1987 Wimbledon. (Getty)
Boris Becker has a record for status as the youngest player in Wimbledon. When he beat Kevin Curren in 1985, he was an unseeded 17-year-old. This was the first one of his six Grand Slam wins.
He went on to win nearly 77 percent of his games during his career. An interesting fact is that Becker never won a clay-court tournament.
10. John McEnroe
John McEnroe of the USA holds his arms aloft in victory at the 1992 Wimbledon. (Getty)
John McEnroe was a refined player both on grass and on clay. His ability to fire fast shots at all hard surfaces and grass allowed him to win a total of eight slams. His amusing style however suited his excellent technique and made him a fantastic player.
Although he was controversial, he won 77 titles and seven Grand Slams. Between 1980 and 1985, he sat at No.1 in 14 different times.
9. Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors of the USA in action at the 1985 Wimbledon. (Getty)
American Jimmy Connors was one of the main tennis characters in the 1970s. Yet he might justify his ignorance but his record is self-explanatory.
Connors won 1,256 games over his long and fruitful career in the top 5 of the Open Era, in addition to eight Grand Slams and a record of 109 championships.
8. Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi takes a shot at the 2006 US Open. (Getty)
The prowess of on-court Andre Agassi, which is part of the Golden Age of tennis players, corresponded to his star status. The American player didn’t have it easy at the beginning of his career but eventually, it all paid off.
He was the first man since Rod Laver in a year to win all four Grand Slams. At the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, Agassi triumphed in the men’s singles.
7. Björn Borg
Bjorn Borg of Sweden in action at the 1979 Wimbledon. (Getty)
Swedish tennis player Bjorn Borg had so much more than his calm and laid back character, both on and off the court. When he won the French Open 1974 at the age of 17, he became the youngest player ever to win a Grand Slam title.
He then added 10 additional Grand Slams before surprising the world with his unexpected retirement at the age of 26.
6. Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia reaches to make a return at the 1987 Wimbledon. (Getty)
In the late 80s, Ivan Lendl was known as the world’s biggest tennis player. For over 270 weeks in the 80s, he held the world No.1 spot and was at the dominant power at the Grand Slam tournaments.
Overall, Lendl has won eight Grand Slam titles, two Australian Opens, three French Opens, and three American Open. In addition, he pioneered a new technique for the game and made necessary components for diet, weightlifting, and early morning aerobics.
5. Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras hits a backhand at the 2000 Indian Wells Tennis Masters Series. (Getty)
American tennis player Pete Sampras, known for his strong serve, ranked the world’s No. 1 between 1993 and 1998. He is also known as one of the ’90’s most popular athletes.
In his professional career, he won 64 titles and 14 Grand Slams. He never won the French Open however and often had trouble playing on clay surfaces.
4. Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts at the 2018 US Open. (Getty)
The world’s best tennis player at the moment, Novak Djokovic,lost only five games in 2020. Over the last decade, the Serbian player has regularly played with the top players, having snatched 17 Grand Slam titles.
Over the last five years, Djokovic has won a total of 81 career titles. Novak has an amazing backhand and excellent courtyard fitness.
3. Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning the 2020 French Open. (Getty)
When Rafael Nadal won the French Open in 2020 for the 13th time, he matched the record for most Grand Slam trophies (20). The Spaniard has won 86 titles in his career and for his surface performance, he is known as “The king of clay.”
At the moment, he is ranked as the world’s number two but he will always be known as one of the best because of his zeal, dedication, and strength.
2. Rod Laver
Rod Laver of Australia lifts the trophy after winning the 1969 Wimbledon Championship. (Getty)
Many believe that Rod Laver is the biggest tennis player inhistory. He was the first tennis player in the world from 1964 to 1970 to win 200 tours, which is the most in the history of tennis, including 11 Grand Slams.
To date, Laver is the only player who has won all four single Grand Slam tournaments twice in a calendar year.
1. Roger Federer
Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts at the 2019 Australian Open. (Getty)
Without a doubt, Roger Federer is the best male tennis player of all-time. He owns the joint-record for most numbers of Grand Slam in history, and since he started his career in 1998, he has regularly dominated.
In addition, the Swiss veteran can boast of spending the most weeks at No.1 (310). From 2004 to 2008, for 237 successive weeks, he was on top of the world.
